Warplanes of the USA: Convair F2Y Sea Dart

Convair F2Y Sea Dart

(USN Photo)

Convair built XF2Y-1 Sea Dart (BuNo. 135762) during a landing.

The Convair F2Y Sea Dart was an American seaplane fighter aircraft that rode on twin hydro-skis during takeoff and landing. It flew only as a prototype, and never entered mass production. It is the only seaplane to have exceeded the speed of sound.It was created in the 1950s, to overcome the problems with supersonic planes taking off and landing on aircraft carriers. The program was canceled after a series of unsatisfactory results and a tragic accident on 4 November 1954, in which test pilot Charles E. Richbourg was killed when the Sea Dart he was piloting disintegrated in midair. The four surviving planes were retired in 1957, but some were kept in reserve until 1962. (Wikipedia)

(USN Photo)

Convair XF2Y-1 Sea Dart.

(USN Photo)

Convair XF2Y-1 Sea Dart.

(USN Photos)

Last flight of Charles E. Richburg, test pilot of ill-fated Sea Dart, YF2Y-1, at San Diego, California. Shown: Starboard quarter aft before flight, 4 November 1954.

Despite the fact that the airplane was officially retired and had not flown since 1957, at least one F2Y was still in storage as of 1962. As a result, it was redesignated YF-7A under the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system.

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(USN Photo)

Convair XF2Y-1 Sea Dart (BuNo. 135762) taking off during an early test flight.

(USN Photo)

Convair F2Y Sea Dart taxiing on its hydro skis during tests in the mid-1950s.

All four remaining Sea Darts survive:

(USN Photo)

Convair XF2Y-1 Sea Dart (BuNo.137634) in flight off San Diego, California (USA), ca. 1954/55.

Convair XF2Y-1 Sea Dart, (BuNo. 137634), is awaiting restoration for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C.

(tataquax Photo)

Convair YF2Y-1 Sea Dart, (BuNo. 135763), is on display at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park. It is on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola.

Convair YF2Y-1 Sea Dart, (BuNo. 135764), is on display at the Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum at NAS Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. It is on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola.

(Bennet Blake Photo)

Convair YF2Y-1 Sea Dart, (BuNo.v135765), Renton airport, Washington, June 1972.

(Valder137 Photo)

Convair YF2Y-1 Sea Dart, (BuNo. 135765), is on display at the Florida Air Museum that is part of the Sun 'n Fun complex at Lakeland Linder International Airport, Florida.